1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system, device and method for managing print management, a computer program and a computer-readable storing medium.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, as information techniques have been progressed, print service via a network has been popularized. On the basis of such print service, the user can obtain various printed matters such as photographic prints, T-shirt prints and the like by ordering the print from his personal computer (PC) via an internet. In recent specification of print service, print order produced by client as the user is transmitted to a center server as a print service managing server through the internet. In the center server, the print order received from the client is analyzed and the server instructs the print order to a print shop designated by the print order. In the print shop to which the print order is instructed, print processing is effected by using either of printing devices in the print shop, thereby producing the printed matter.
However, for the reason that the printing devices in the print shop to which the print order is instructed cannot be utilized, if print request is effected by changing the accepted print order data to another shop managing other available printing devices, the operator in the center server must manually duplicate the print order for the substituted print shop, and, double-print must be prevented by canceling the print order of the original print shop by recognizing the fact that the print is being requested to the substituted print shop.
Further, in such conventional print service effected via the internet, since a substitution processing method is not particularly taken into account, also at the substituted print shop to which the print is requested, there is no means for discriminating whether print-requested print order data is requested by which client or by the original print shop, and, thus, correct orderer may not be specified.
In the above-mentioned conventional system, in order to recognize the fact that the print is being requested to the other print shop and to discriminate the substituted print order data from the print order data of the original client at the other print shop side, the manager must have recognition by using any other means, and manual management must be effected, thereby making the managing method complicated. Thus, it is not desirable in consideration of print ensuring.
Further, when the print order data is carried-in to request the print to the substituted print shop from the original print shop and when the requested print order data is carried-in to the substituted print shop, expert knowledge is required.
Further, although it is considered that the client user wishes that the print is performed in the print shop in which the print should firstly be effected, in such a case, it is not desirable to effect substitution processing. Thus, although it is considered that the user is inquired whether the substitution processing can be effected or not, in order to recognize such inquiry by the user via a mail or the like, there arises time lag. This is not desirable when the user hastens the print.